My first love is (besides my family which always comes first ;) www.Gymbohaven.com - a line identification and informational site for moms who love the Gymboree brand clothing. I started the site years ago for myself but it just grew out of control and into Gymbohaven. Our newsletter goes out to 12,000+ moms right now :)

My second love is reading - as you can tell on the far right, there's tons of books I've read, reviewed, reading at the moment and wanting to read. Let me know your thoughts on them!

My last love is collecting fairies - the rocker kind. I've got the coolest collection thanks to my family and friends. Mike even got me one from England when he was stationed over there and its all pewter and stands about 12inches high.

Hershey has partnered with the Children’s Miracle Network for over 20 years. CMN is a non-profit alliance of children’s hospitals dedicated to providing state-of-the-art care, life-saving research and preventative education across North America.

This Easter season, Hershey is celebrating it’s new Easter products sold exclusively at Walmart and their legacy of making a difference and Hershey’s will donate up to a total of $5,000 to the Children’s Miracle Network together with bloggers.Hershey at walmart, Hershey reese's walmart, better Easter basketNew from Hershey!

This Easter season Hershey is all about helping you to create Better Easter Baskets with Easter candy found at Walmart; including exclusive Reese’s Items.

These Easter Baskets were built with some of the Walmart exclusive Hershey products.

How can we do this together? It’s simple:

* Participate to Hershey’s Better Basket Blog Hop of giving away virtual Easter Baskets by creating a blog post with specific rules described here.* Hershey Company will donate $10 per each blog post to CMN, up to total of $5,000.* One blog post per URL counts towards the donation, but you can give as many virtual Easter baskets as you want.* The Hershey’s Better Basket Blog Hop will officially begin at 12 AM EST on March 18th and end at 12 PM EST on April 4th, 2010. Blog posts submitted to us before or after that time period will not be counted for.* The blog post link has to be submitted to us for the donation to be counted.* In addition copy and paste the following text in your blog post:

HERSHEY’S BETTER BASKET BLOG HOP RULES

* Copy and paste these rules to your blog post.* Create a blog post giving a virtual Easter Basket to another blogger – you can give as many Virtual Baskets as you want.* Link back to person who gave you an Easter Basket.* Let each person you are giving a Virtual Easter Basket know you have given them a Basket.* Leave your link at BetterBasket.info/BlogHop comment section. You can also find the official rules of this #betterbasket blog hop, and more information about Better Basket with Hershey’s there.* Hershey’s is donating $10 per each blog participating to the Better Basket Blog Hop to Children’s Miracle Network (up to total of $5,000 by blog posts written by April 4th, 2010).* Please note that only one blog post by each blog url will count towards the donation.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

SCORE!! I'm jumping in my seat still... I went to do a return at Kmart (Ambers shoes from the dance - bought same set in 2 sizes - kids always growing on me lol) and as I pulled into the parking lot I noticed that there was a CANDY store in the strip mall... I actually did 2 drive bys to make sure I wasn't dreaming it lol. Candy was the reason I was willing to drive 3 hrs round trip to Galena! Amber's bday is coming up and its a candy theme. I calmed myself down and did my little return at Kmart. Finally got the candy store and I went in thinking that it was tiny and maybe I shouldn't be so excited, cause they might not have the stuff she wants... well I held myself back from doing jumping jacks in the middle of the store cause the owner was like 'if we don't have it, I'll just order it for you' (yes my jaw hit the floor!) - so I came home with jawbreakers and warheads and ordered unicorn lollipops, rock candy, airheads and candy necklaces. All cheaper than what I would have paid online and no shipping! I can't wait to put these containers together with the candy and put the label on the front!

Of course I went to the bookstore and bought two more books for me to dive into... Fallen by Lauren Kate and Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia/Margaret Stohl. I got Amber two books - one on order - I so don't do mysteries by Barrie Summy and the other one by the same other is I so don't do spooky. lol love that title, its sooo Amber.

I hit up Shopko for some payless sneakers for Amber - she's been wearing them with the laces out cause they are too small and she didn't tell me til I asked her why... kids, you think they'd be outspoken if their shoes were tight and hurt to wear! *shaking head* So I picked up two pairs and we'll see which ones she likes. Ones black with blue stuff on it and more of a sneaker. The other is the canvas type with a side zipper and shoe laces - kinda quirky cool. Got her some earrings for her bday and a necklace. I wanted to find myself a new purse but there wasn't anything that caught my attention.

I couldn't leave Freeport with out going to Country Girl and checking out their cool country stuff for the house. But I've got to say prices were just out of my reach and I was upset cause if it was like $30 lower I would have bought this huge 46" shelf to go over the washer/dryer. Seems like their entire store was pushed up in price... sad to see it, cause people like me ain't gonna pay no $70 dollar for a black plain shelf no matter how cute and perfect for the space it was... sigh... another day I might find a better one.

Now I'm home, waiting for Amber to get back from Chicago for her Opera field trip. They don't get back til around 7pm and I'm a nervous nelly about the whole trip. We'll see how it went later...

Even though it was a 'kidless day' from 8am - 4pm I still feel drained and ready to plop on the bed and take a nap lol Just because the kids are in school doesn't mean moms get to sit on the couch and eat bon bons all day. I wish! I don't think I've even had a dang bon bon. I've done mint girl scout cookies or lemon loaf from starbucks (if they have it in stock lol).

I subscribe to netflix and I have to admit I spent the money on a sony blue ray player that has netflix ability, its really worth the money in the end (if you get it at the outlet for half the cost!). So I spend at least 1 day a week enjoying a new movie - heck I still like being on the up and up on what movies came out and which ones were 'cool'. Today I watched Motherhood - not bad, but I don't think anyone who lives in the countryside would understand why someone would live like that lol. Single in NY City sure, but with kids and a car - you kidding me?

Anyways... After I did my motherly chores - washing the cabinets down, scrubbing cheese off the counter and washing the kitchen floor I had enough of the chemical smell to make me nauseous and wanted a break! By then Mike was home and it was over 50 degrees outside for the first time in MONTHS and he was ready... To cook out! Yes my husband put on a short sleeve shirt, open the front door and windows and went to the store and cooked chicken and steak for dinner... outside! Hey I'm all for it but when the cool breeze came through and I had to grab a hoodie to keep warm in the house LOL I didn't think it was so 'cool' plus I had to reclean the kitchen - who doesn't clean their kitchen a couple times in a day, right??

He turned the tunes up, rocked out the oldies (music from the 80's) and was jammin away outside... He actually came in and said 'When all those guys drive past us today on the way home and see me cookin' you're gonna be hearing them beeping and waving' ' they are gonna go to the store and be doing the same thing!' - I did have to hold my laughter in, he was sooo excited to be out there. He got soo riled up with his music that he broke my vase on the shelf - it either vibrated off the shelf or it just exploded cause next thing we knew we heard a popping noise and glass everwhere. hmmm new decorating idea for that spot needed now... I think that was the end of the grilling and he went to the garage to hang out with his car.

Kids took off to the park with stern warnings about the huge water puddles from the melted snow and I got peace and quiet!! This is the time I snuck in the movie... gotta time it right!

Now I'm looking at reality again... more dishes, some laundry (washed the blankets by the glass just in case anything got on them too small to see) gotta pack field trip bag for Amber tomorrow, get some cash and water bottles, watch American Idol at 8 - which includes our ritual calls to NY (my mom and sis) during the commercial breaks to talk about the people or just to catch up on stuff. Bedtime soon after, maybe for me too lol and it starts all over again with some new twists... who said motherhood wasn't Exciting and full of new things to learn!